Furry and Furious
by dragonloverspirit
Summary: With James gone, and with Renee out of the picture, it seems as if Bella's troubles are a thing of the past. But, then again, there's the wolves. Jacob will have to make a choice, between loyalty to his pack, and the truth of Bella and the Cullens. The next in the Bella the Werecat series, following A Purrfect Disaster.
1. Chapter 1

Furry and Furious

Jacob POV

 _ **March**_

As the sun began to rise over the La Push reservation, Jacob Black woke from his bed to voices, hushed, coming from the tiny living room. He got up quietly and knelt by his bedroom door to listen.

"I won't see Bella be hurt by those leeches, Sam." Jacob's father, Billy, said in a mad whisper. "I'm going to try to get her over here, to hang out with Jacob, so that she won't be their victim."

"Billy, you know you can't just make Bella come here. As much as I'd hate to see her hurt, we can't do much in that regard." The other Quileute – probably Sam – spoke.

"I'll be damned if Charlie loses his daughter to those bloodsuckers!"

"I agree Bella shouldn't be near those pale ones, Billy, but how would we persuade her? She's a free spirit, much like her father, and just as stubborn." Another man, whom Jacob recognized as Harry, another good friend of Charlie's, said.

"There is no forcing someone as young and independent as her," a much older voice gruffed wisely. "to do what we will her. It is of her best interest, in our experienced opinion, to stay away from the Cold Ones, but she and Charlie cannot know of them. It would break the treaty, and the Cold Ones would attack us. Do you want the blood of our people on your hands, Billy?"

No one spoke for a while. Jacob took the opportunity to come into the living room, at which point he felt the eyes of the group drilling into him. "Hey, what's with the elders meeting?"

Billy wheeled his chair over to Jacob, assuring his son that there was nothing special, just going over some business. Jacob of course knew better, but wondered if his father's amnesty toward the Cullens had any real ground to stand on. If he was so adamant about Bella hanging out in La Push more, either Billy was getting more paranoid with age, or there was something about the Cullens. So, excusing himself, he set out for Forks – he needed to talk to Bella about all this.

Bella's POV

The days came and went as I passed my junior year, and entered the Seniority of my high school life. It was now the Spring semester, the middle of March. Valentine's Day was amazing, with Edward's romantic hunt and dinner atop a moonlit cliff, topping all other Valentine's Days. Christmas was amazing at the Cullen house, Esme making Charlie and I a splendid dinner – which turned into a feast so large we had to donate most of it to the local shelter, of which the residents were incredibly happy about. Halloween season was especially fun, as Emmett and I had taken turns pranking each other and the other family members, with occasional comebacks from Alice and Edward. I never once was tricked by anyone except for Edward, who would pull the trick whenever we were being intimate. I had a tough time trusting him during the month of October. By birthday had been fun, with a CD of music composed by Edward, a portable speaker for my music from Emmett, and a revamped truck, courtesy of Rosalie. Alice had done one better and, together with Esme, had taken all of my clothes and accessories and made them tear-away, so that in case of a werecat emergency, I didn't shred any more garments. Now every wearable item in my possession was werecat proof.

Now, I was relaxing after school, in the parking lot, with Edward, Alice and Jasper all lounging in the bed of my truck. I was quickly running through my homework, having been gaining an incredible amount of speed with my vampire tutors training. I was now able to retain knowledge at an incredible pace and capacity. I had also noticed, as Edward and I continued to exchange blood and venom though intimate acts, that my overall abilities were getting stronger, and along with my bouts with Jasper, more honed. Carlisle surmised that, by giving me his venom, bit by bit, Edward was passing on vampiric qualities to me, and being used to the sting of venom, it no longer harmed me, but in fact empowered me. I was like the freaking Sword of Griffindor!

As I finished up the last of my English essay, our little group was alerted to the sound of a car pulling into the space next to my truck. It looked like a Volkswagen Rabbit, an older car, maybe rebuilt. Edward became more alert, as Alice had a look of pure confusion, and Jasper became guarded, his nose wrinkling. I hopped out, tossing my paper aside, to see Jacob Black emerge from the driver's side.

"Jacob! What's up – whoa…" Jacob wasn't the young boy I had run into half a year ago. He was more muscularly built, and I could imagine a well defined body under his tight clothes. His hair was still long, but his face had hardened, losing the baby like shape of his youth. He even smelled different. He was more like moist earth and herbs.

"Bella, I need to talk to you. My dad was up this morning with the elder council of our tribe, and Sam Uley, the neighborhood cult leader. They were talking about ways to get you to come to La Push – to get you away from them," he said, gesturing to the Cullens. "They seemed to think being with them was a death sentence. And they kept calling you bloodsuckers and leeches. I'm sick of this, man. I've had enough of being in the dark. All my friends, Quil, Embry, even jerk Paul – they've all turned over to follow Sam like a little puppy! If you know anything, anything at all, then please, tell me!" He ran his hands through his hair. "Bella, I know I haven't been able to hang out with you lately, but… you were my friend. You ARE my friend. And I hate that my dad and all them think that you're betraying us by handing out with Edward and them."

As he talked, he was shaking, a little. And I could practically _feel_ the heat coming off him. "Ok, Jacob. We can talk. Hop in your Rabbit, and follow me." I waved the Cullens into my truck, Jacob hopped in to his, and we drove off. The journey to my house took ten minutes, and the entire time, no one spoke. When we arrived, Edward pulled me aside.

"What are you going to tell him?"

"As much as he needs to know. He's just a kid, Edward. And he doesn't know what kind of world he's in. If he had a sense of what was going on, he wouldn't be so tense. And, by the way, you didn't tell me he was a shape shifter too."

Edward paused. "What makes you think that?"

"I can see the signs – he's overheating without being sick, he's trembling as he's getting upset – who knows what will happen in the next minute with him. I'm taking him into the woods nearby, so if he transforms, there's ample room to calm him down. I ask that none of you interfere unless I cannot control him. The first time is downright terrifying. If he smells you, his instincts will kick in. I will have a better understanding of him while he's that way. And," I added, narrowing my eyes, "don't keep things like this from me, ok?"

He looked down. "It would have been breaking the treaty if I had told you. You figured it out, so we're not responsible."

"Oh, ok. Jacob! Come with me. Alice, stay here and keep watch. Whistle once if someone's coming, unless its Charlie. Jasper, call Emmett if something happens. You understand." Jasper nodded, while Alice perched herself in the bed of my truck. Jacob, confused, followed me and Edward, while Jasper followed behind, wary. I only stopped when I felt no one would be able to hear us. Then, after quickly conversing with Edward and Jasper, as well as Carlisle on the phone, on what I could say, I addressed Jacob.

"Alright, Jake. So, you're upset that your father is so hateful against them," I gestured to Edward and Jasper, "and trying to manipulate Charlie and me to come to La Push. Your friends have all joined this Sam Uley guy, and you still want to be my friend."

He nodded. "Dad seems to think we have to protect you from them. I don't see how dangerous those guys are. Um, sorry, Edward, and…?"

"Jasper. Pleasure."

"Yeah. I don't see how dangerous you guys can be. Seriously, you look like you barely get out."

I burst out laughing; Edward chuckled. Jasper stayed silent, but smiled. "Yeah, yeah, they don't tan, Jacob. But they do get out. We all do."

He crossed his arms, still slightly trembling. "Ok, ha ha, I get it. So, why does my dad keep calling you guys leeches and bloodsuckers? That, if I remember my fairy tales, is an insult to vampires. And you guys can't be vampires."

I looked, deadpan, at Edward. He shrugged, signaling that I could tell him more. "Well, you're not… wrong…"

Jacob looked at me confused, before narrowing his eyes. "Sure. And I'm a werewolf."

My eyebrow rose. "Um… well, I don't know about that, but no one here is normal, that much is sure."

"Oh, yeah? If they're vampires, then how are they out here? Shouldn't they burn up?"

I pointed to the overcast sky. "No sun, dummy. The clouds block out direct sunlight. And they don't burn, that's a myth."

"So, if I were to wave a thing of garlic –"

"No, it just smells pungent. Not at all deadly."

"Holy water?"

"God bless, Jake, you think they'd melt? No."

"Stake through the heart?"

"That thing would splinter against their chest."

"Then how do I know they're vampires?"

"Geez, you – ok, Edward? That old tree. Kill it."

"With pleasure, m'lady." Edward walked to the tree I pointed out, and completely uprooted it. He tossed it a good twenty feet away, where it landed with a crash and split down the middle. Jasper, not to be left out, took one of the halves, and ground his hand into it like it was butter. Edward took off, zooming around the place in a blur. Jasper monkeyed up the trees, and landed on his feet after dropping from treetops. They both returned to their original positions.

Jacob was stunned. His mouth hung open, staring at the two of them. He started to back away when I put my hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Jake, trust me, they're powerful, but not dangerous. At least, not to humans. They prefer cougars and grizzlies. They can survive of animal blood, and they are perfectly ok with being around humans. Jasper, I know what you're gonna say, and I say you've been so much better than when I first met you. But, anyways, don't worry about the Cullens, Jake. Carlisle? Dr. Cullen? Hello, works with bleeding patients every day, doesn't go bat shit crazy from that, does he?"

Jake closed his mouth, looking at the ground for a while. When he did manage to speak, he seemed apprehensive. "So… they are vampires, just… um, animal drinkers?"

"We prefer to call ourselves 'vegetarian'. Ironic, I know, but, still." Edward corrected gently, sitting on the new log bench. Jasper took to leaning against a healthy, upright tree.

"O…k… so, those guys are vampires. All of the Cullens, I mean… your family. But wait, you said _all_ of us were abnormal. What did you mean?"

"Um… I think the best way to explain is to say this, and then show you something. First, I can sense you are a shape shifter. You have a different odor about you, which we can all smell. Your body temperature is skyrocketing. Your emotions are barely being held together. That's how I felt when I first turned. So, without further ado…" I walked away, getting in the center of the clearing. I began to take my clothes off, much to his shock.

"Uh, Bella, wha, what the – why are you –"

"Its necessary. Don't want to rip these up, do I?" I finished stripping, and Jake averted his gaze. I sighed. "Dude, just look. Or are you the one who has a vagina, and not me?" that made him look, all mad. It was cute. "Ok, here goes. Please, don't run, ok?" He nodded, squaring his shoulders. I, being able to control my transformations now, shuddered as the cold seeped through my skin, down my spine, through my fingers, and I erupted into werecat form. Jacob jumped back as I exploded forward, my massive front paws landing just a foot from where he originally stood. My large tiger like body stretched out, my snow white fur glistening with dew in the diffused light. Even though Jacob had grown considerably since I had last seen him, I still managed to look down at him, his head reaching the middle of my upper arm. He was now shaking harder. I had to calm him down. So I laid down, purring softly, looking up at him with the least-threatening look I could give with my ocean blue eyes. I rolled onto my side, and looked at Jasper. "You know what to do," I told him in my bass voice.

Jasper nodded, looked at Jacob, and the effect seemed instantaneous. Instead of staring at me with horror and fear, Jacob walked up to me, with some slight caution, but more awe and wonder. He knelt down, and with the gentlest touch, petted my chest. I purred louder now, a pleasant smile stretching across my furred face. He smiled back, and felt every inch of my enormous head. His hot fingers ran through my plush fur, and I bopped my nose on his chest. He chuckled.

"So, Bella, you're… um, well, very big." Jacob stood up, and so did I, after noticing Edward had a jealous scowl on his face. I sauntered over to my lover, purring loudly and brushing my head up against his arm. He couldn't keep frowning, and he scratched behind my ear.

"I'm big, yes. But I'm also know that I'm what's called a werecat. A creature who can transform into a feline like beast, and has powers like fast regeneration, acidic and healing spit, and sometimes the ability to read minds. Don't worry, I don't do it all the time. I can turn it off, unlike Edward here. So, mind your thoughts around him. Oh, and Jasper helped you calm down. He can manipulate emotions. Alice over there can see the future, but not every second. It kinda just randomly happens unless she's actively searching the future. I dunno, man, this whole family is strange." I shrugged.

"A werecat. Wow. That's… I've never heard of them. Good job keeping you guys secret." He gave me a thumbs up. "And I think it sucks you have to take your clothes off every time you do that."

I made a face. "Yeah."

He paused. "You said I might be a shape shifter? You can just tell?"

"Yep. I mean, I remember what it was like. Except I don't feel hot when I transform. I feel a chilling, freezing cold throughout my body. Gives me a bit of warning. But you, and maybe your friends over in La Push… they might be shape shifters as well. My guess, if you confront them about it, they won't say shit. Not until you transform. It's inevitable, and it won't be fun."

This is where Jacob go really pissed. "So, Sam and his new disciples are shape shifters, and I'm one, too. Explains why Sam keeps looking at me like I'm next."

"He has?"

"Yeah. God damn, Billy and all them are in on it, too! Those fuckers, they kept it from me this entire time!" He was violently shaking. Jasper looked ready to combat it, but I waved him off.

"Jake, you don't think they might have been… trying to prevent it from happening to you?"

"If it's fucking impossible to get away from, shouldn't they have been wanting me to change sooner? And, they're fucking blind! All they see is your species, Edward, and they don't see your heart! You can love, you can be kind! What kind of fucking bullshit do they think they have on you? You're a nice dude. Shit, Pixie over there is probably one of those girls who's peppy all the time!"

"Yep!" was the cheerful response from Alice as she called back to us.

"And those old farts… they… they want me to hate you. Fuck, they don't want you here, Bella, they think you need protection! Fuck that, you've got that covered. I'm so… urgh…" He held his head, face contorted in pain.

"Jacob… do you want to do this? I'll be here, Jake. One shape shifter to another. We're here for you."

He nodded, now to the point of vibrating. I could see his skin trying to jump off of his body.

"Then listen to me. Get mad, don't hold it in. I'll be here to help you. Don't worry, you won't hurt anyone. I promise." I ushered Edward and Jasper back, keeping just enough of a distance from Jake so he wouldn't hit me in his transformation. Jake doubled over, gasping now. And, within seconds, his whole body exploded. Russet fur expanded to five times Jacob's original size. And a giant wolf appeared right before me. He was as big as a draft horse, much more muscular, and he was scared shitless. I reached for his mind to get a read on him.

 _Holy shit, I'm a fucking wolf, what the hell?! My hands, no, paws… oh holy crap, I've got paws! And what the fuck is – I'VE GOT A TAIL! A MOTHER FUCKING TAIL!_

 _Jacob, listen to me, hear me. You're ok, I know it's scary, but you're ok. Listen to me, Jake. Hey! Come on now, don't close up on me._ I nosed his cheek, and he jumped a little. When he was able to breathe, his nose wrinkled and he whined.

 _What the fuck is that god, awful stench?! Ugh, it's icy, burns, what the hell?_

 _That's probably Edward and Jasper, Jake. Maybe Alice too. They smell like that for you guys, I'm guessing._

 _That's fucked up! I'm so sorry, tell them. I don't think they're bad, but they smell so awful, and… I dunno why, but I want to tear them apart. Fuck! I want to murder someone!_

"Hey, guys, he's really sorry about the smell. For you guys and for him. And he's also sorry that he wants to murder you. No biggie, he really doesn't want to, his instincts are just kicking in. By the way, do you know why he feels like this? Edward?"

"He's a Quileute wolf, and they're natural enemies of us. Those dogs wouldn't think twice about ripping our heads off. Sorry, Jake." Edward apologized, with Jake whining and nodding, accepting it.

 _So, they hate me now? Your boyfriend and his siblings?_

 _I don't think so._ "Hey, do you hate Jake now?"

"Well, I don't want to smell him, the way he is now, and I don't feel too loving, but I don't hate him. Really, I'm trying not to growl at you, man." Edward said. Jasper, on the other hand, couldn't speak. He growled a little, and Jake returned the favor, his hackles rising. I brushed my tail against Jasper, and tapped my paw on Jake's face.

"Hey, knock it off. Be nice." I was going to say more, but in the distance, I heard howling. Multiple wolves. And the sound of Charlie's cruiser parking in the driveway. Alice whistled, and I made an image in my head of Charlie standing with me. After a minute, Charlie and Alice were walking over to us. When Charlie saw Jake, his eyes softened.

"Who's this, Bells?"

"It's Jacob, Dad. Billy's son."

Charlie strode over to Jake and held his hand to Jake's cheek. "Son, I know all about these guys. But I never knew you had it, too. Billy kept this from you, huh?"

Jake nodded.

"Well, that bastard wants to keep my daughter from Edward and his family. And now, I'm guessing he'll want to keep you from us, now. Screw that noise. If you need a place to stay, my home is always open. You understand? You're a second child to me. And regardless of what Billy or any of them say, I will be the middle ground between all of us. Human, vampire, werecat, giant wolf, don't make a difference."

I smiled and gently licked Charlie's cheek. But then, the howls got louder. Closer. There were five of them. And I had a good idea who they were. "Those fuckers are coming for Jake. Brace yourselves, guys. Charlie, get behind Alice. If things get nasty, she'll take you to her place, they'll keep you safe. Edward, Jasper, alongside me. Call Emmett, let him know what's up. they're all coming. And they want Jacob.


	2. Chapter 2

Bella POV

I squared up my shoulders and stood tall, as I heard the other wolves approaching, their paws thudding mutely against the damp earth. Edward and Jasper stood beside me, Jasper having texted Emmett. Jake was still in some pain, so he was still crouching down in the middle of the clearing. Charlie was behind Alice, like I ordered, looking apprehensively towards the direction of the howls. After a minute or so of waiting, Emmett appeared by my side as well.

"Where are those mutts?" Emmett asked, flexing his arms.

"Calm down, big guy. They're coming from that way." I flicked my tail. "I can hear them." And boy, could I. it wasn't just their running, or their howls. It was their thoughts. I was in Jacob's mind, and when the wolves got close, I could hear them through him.

 _Jake, hey, Jake! You ok?_

 _Whoa, that stench – vampires!_

 _Leeches!_

 _Oh, yes! let's fuck 'em up!_

 _No, Jake, come here! Get away from them!_

Thankfully, I had told Jacob to face the wolves, as well, because when they burst through the tree line, the look of pure shock was priceless.

 _Jacob… behind you… uh…_

 _I know, Sam._ Jacob huffed, looking at the black wolf, biggest out of them all. _Relax. Don't –_

 _Those leeches made an abomination! And they've got Charlie! Sam!_ I could tell that was Paul, the grey and tan wolf, snarling, snapping his teeth.

 _No, Paul, you don't underst-_

 _Jake? Um, why are you with those guys?_ A chocolate brown wolf, younger, stepped closer, sniffing. Sam barked at him, and he took his place again.

 _Quil, I just turned into a wolf, and they were here to help –_

 _Help? Likely. A bunch of leeches, helping one of us?_ This was a lighter brown wolf, now. Embry, possibly, he was the only one left.

I knew none of them were going to let Jacob explain, so I stepped forward, standing next to him. The others looked worried, seeing the clear and daunting size difference between me and him. I stood twice as tall as Jacob, and twice as bulky. "No, you fucking idiotic mutts. I helped him."

 _What the fuck?!_ was their unanimous thought.

"Classy. Gentleman, if you are men, under those fur coats, allow me to introduce myself. I am Isabella Marie Swan, daughter to Charlie Swan, and mate of Edward Cullen. I am a werecat, a creature similar to you only in the ability to transform my shape. I would hate to see any of you make fast assumptions, but looks like I'm too late. Jacob confronted us about why his father and the rest of your tribe in on the wolf secret hated the Cullens so much. When he understood the truth of it, he got pissed. He transformed, and I helped him through a little of it. That is, until you pups charged in here like a bunch of half-starved lunatics."

 _No… you can't be… Bella… Bella is human…_ Sam cautiously crept closer, wanting to get Jake on his side, and wanting to see the human me behind my feline form.

I sighed, and let myself shift back. When I stood, naked, human again, all the wolves' jaws popped open.

 _BELLA?! Holy fuck, guys, that really is Bella!_

 _Holy shit, wait until Billy hears about this!_

 _No! Bella, you can't be! They did this to you!_

"Wrong again, boys. I was born a werecat. I turned when I was sixteen. Renee was my werecat mother. Was, because she tried to kill Charlie and Emmett here, so I killed her instead." I patted Jacob's shoulder before stepping up to Sam's face. "Now you take this message and run it to your masters: I will not be brought to La Push under imprisonment. I am not a victim, and I will not be ordered around. The Cullens are good people, and I will stand in front of anyone who tries to kill them."

 _You think you're so tough, little bitch,_ Paul barked at me, _but you're nothing to us. And since you're with them, you might as well be one of them. Sam, don't let her come to La Push! She's a danger to the tribe!_

 _Danger to the tribe? Are you fucked up, Paul? She would protect humans, you idiot! I want her to help us._ Brave Jacob stood taller, the pain having gone away. He stalked up to Paul, growling. Jasper was trying desperately to ease the tension, but to no avail.

 _Sure, Jake. Do you even know what she's capable of, pea brain? She probably eats humans! Did you think of that? Do you think of anything besides how great Bella is?_

 _Yeah, like how much of an asshole you are!_

Paul roared, and launched himself at Jacob. Not knowing how to properly coordinate his new body, Jacob flailed against Paul's trained skill. I erupted into werecat form, and stood on my hind legs, fur fluffing out, tail whipping back and forth. I hissed, sucked in some air, and roared directly into Paul's face. The sheer force of it made him crumble back, whining in pure fear. I marched slowly forward, making him relinquish his hold on Jacob. Paul stumbled and fell, his tail tucked tightly against his balls. I snarled, and turned around to help Jacob up. But the little bitch behind me jumped on my back, and dug his claws into my shoulders, biting down on my neck. I yowled, twisting this way and that, reaching back for him. When I caught my claws in him, I wrenched him forward, and slammed him down on the ground in front of me.

There was a sickening, loud _crack_ as he landed, dirt spraying everywhere. When I could properly see him, Paul's upper half was scrabbling around in the dirt, while his lower half was limp, ragdoll-like. He was screaming, and his pack, including Jacob, all crumpled a little in shared pain, each of them feeling it in their backs.

I had snapped his spine.

My anger vanished, replaced by pure horror. I hadn't meant to do it, I had just wanted him off of me. I panicked, yowling, jumping to Paul's aid. But Sam, Quil, and Embry, all blocked my path, snarling and spraying saliva in my way. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all hissed, coming to my side. I waved them down, but they wouldn't listen. "Stop! I didn't mean it, Sam, please! I can fix it! Please!"

 _No, Bella. You've done enough. You proved you were stronger. Don't come near him._ Sam said darkly, his fur standing on end. Jacob whined and couldn't decide what to do. He was shocked that I had hurt Paul, but scared that Sam wasn't going to let me help.

Terror gripped my heart. If I couldn't get to Paul in time, he would be paralyzed forever. "PLEASE! Jacob, you HAVE TO LET ME THROUGH! I CAN FIX HIS SPINE! Please!"

A loud gunshot rang through the air. We all stopped, and looked to see Charlie, still in his uniform, with a shotgun in hand. He cocked it, and raised the sights to look straight down the muzzle of Sam Uley. Sam's ears flattened, and he slowly backed up. "You better move, boy, before I have to put down two dogs."

"Charlie -" Jasper warned, but Charlie grunted, partially growling as well. Sam, eventually stumped as to what to do, slowly backed away. I guess even wolves like him had lines they didn't cross. Quil and Embry backed off, too, and I stepped toward Paul. He had stopped moving, and was furiously, painfully, looking up at me. I knew that I broke his spine, but I hadn't broken the skin. I needed Carlisle. He was the only one who could guide me through helping him. So I quickly relayed the message to Edward before speeding off as fast as my legs would go. Carlisle was outside already, so when I arrived, he came to me. I gestured for him to get on my back, and once he was secure, I took off again. Not five minutes had passed when I got back to the group.

"I broke his spine, Carlisle. I need your help fixing him. Please, I just wanted him off my back."

He nodded, and tried to get close to Paul. Paul snapped at Carlisle, but Sam barked, and Paul remained still. Charlie was still pointing his shotgun at Sam, and it would have been funny had there not been dire circumstances. Carlisle gently examined the area, feeling where he could. I had to hold down Paul so he wouldn't bite the doctor's head off.

After a few minutes, Carlisle stood up, running a hand through his hair. "I need him in human form to begin guiding you, Bella. I deal with human patients, not wolves."

I nodded. "Paul, come on, man, don't be stubborn. Turn back, and we'll fix yours."

He reluctantly shifted, and lay there in the grass, naked. We gently turned him, with the help of Edward, so he was flat on his stomach. Carlisle took out a pocket scalpel – don't look at me, I dunno why he had one of those! – and cut two incisions near the break, to make a cross shape. Paul grunted, but Edward held him down. Carlisle peeled the skin back, and moved the muscle in my way to expose his spine. It was completely severed, but looked as if it were trying to grow bone mass over the break. If I didn't fix it soon, there would be nothing I could do.

"Bella, scrape some of the bone off with a claw. I shall hold the two sides of his spine together, and you will lick the two ends, which should fuse his spinal cord and repair the damaged cartilage."

 _Ew, lick it? What kind of sick shit is that?_ Embry shook his head, snorting with disgust.

 _I dunno, some sort of crappy ritual?_ Quil replied.

I ignored them and nodded. Carlisle carefully moved the spinal cord into place, and when I licked it, the result was instantaneous. His nerves reached out to each other, and wove back together. The cartilage mended itself back, and with a grunt, Paul's legs twitched – a good sign. Carlisle moved his muscle back into place, and returned the skin to its original position. I licked the skin, and it seamlessly fused. I stepped back, and Carlisle stood up.

"Paul, I need you to move your legs. If you can do that, and then stand up, I'll be satisfied Bella's healing agents did their job."

"Whatever, leech," Paul retorted. He did manage to move his legs, and after a few seconds, got up as if he had never been hurt. "Well, alright, my legs work. Cool. Now I can tear your ass apart for that!" He looked straight at me. Jacob moved in front of me, however, and growled.

 _You tell that fucker he's lost some brain cells, because attacking you would be suicide._

"Jacob politely asks you to fuck off, Paul. I don't want to hurt you again, but I won't sit here and take a beating if you do." I said, standing on my hind legs.

"And some goes for me, boy." Charlie swished his shotgun around, aiming at Paul. "That stunt you pulled was uncalled for, and even though you were the antagonist, Bella still healed you. She could have left you paralyzed, kid, but she didn't. Now, you all run back to Billy, and you let him know I won't stand for this bullshit anymore! My little girl, as badass as she is, needs an apology from him and all of you. And so do the Cullens, for that matter. They have done nothing wrong, and will never kill a human. You can guarantee that."

 _How dumb is your father, Bella? All vampires are-_

I snarled, getting super pissed, facing Sam. Something in me now wanted to show this ass who was boss. So I stepped over Charlie, and grabbed Sam by his scruff like one would grab a kitten. He yelped and whined, but went quiet when I snapped my teeth inches from his eyes. I placed him on the ground, rolled him over on his back, and stood over him in a dominating manner. I hissed, my whole body trembling in anger. My skin itched, my body twitched, and I felt a new change. My mind was able to access Sam's mind, further than simply reading it. I could feel the innate, instinctual power he held, more than any other wolf. He was the Alpha. But I knew, somehow, I could dominate his will. And when I spoke, my voice rang out with a thousand other voices, ancient, primal.

" _ **You are never to insult my father or the Cullens with heinous words, Sam Uley. And your pack will never touch another creature again without my permission. Jacob Black will be excluded from his rule, and shall be able to come and go as he pleases between La Push, Forks, and Cullen territory. And if you cross your border into another territory, regardless of where you go, you shall experience pain. And the pain will not stop until you return to your borders. This is your fate, Sam Uley, should you choose not to cease this petty hatred of the Cullens, who have never wronged you."**_ When I stopped, a sense of finality crossed me, and I stepped off of Sam, returning to Edward's side.

No one spoke. And after a pause, Emmett decided to test out my edict. "So, mutt, what do you have to say to me?"

 _Do not talk to me, you-_ the thought abruptly ended, when Sam seemed to lose the word. In fact, I could sense that he didn't even understand what word he was trying to use.

I smiled a toothy smile. "The mutt has nothing to say, brother of mine. He's at a loss for words."


	3. Chapter 3

Jacob POV

Today was not Jacob's day.

Bella was a werecat, he was a wolf, and so were the guys from his tribe. The Cullens were vampires, but they didn't kill people, and Charlie, still being human, was being the most badass human Jacob had ever seen by pointing his shot gun straight at Sam in wolf form. Sam, having lost his ability to curse out either group, was silent in his mind, growling with his teeth bared, still crouching on the ground below Bella. She was still standing, proudly, fiercely, menacingly, over Sam, arms crossed, fangs bared in a smile.

Jacob was stuck between all these people; between those he knew as his people, those he knew as lifelong friends, and those who he never knew. And he didn't know what to do.

On the one hand, Bella and the Cullens had been kind and helpful in revealing everything that had been hidden to him by his own tribe, by his own father, even. They had, unlike what his father always preached, been welcoming and understanding, there for him when no one else had. They were contributing positively to those around them, as greatly shown by Carlisle's generosity and kindness as the local doctor, patching up even the most stubborn of wolves.

On the other hand, Bella had just shown that there was no one safe from her if she were to be extremely upset. She had broken Paul's spine, for christ's sake! She was so dangerous, no one was going to fuck with her. And, even though Paul was usually a dick, he hadn't deserved something so harsh. And, to top it off, Bella had direct control over Sam, who seemed to be the Alpha of the pack, reducing him to a mute.

Jacob couldn't see who was better to stick with. Bella and the Cullens, or Sam and his pack? But before he could really think about it, Quil turned his head to Bella and asked, _So, wait, we can't touch anyone? What, if we do, are we going to feel bad or something?_

"I suggest you find out, Quil."

"Find out what? This conversation has been half silent!" Emmett complained, getting close to Edward. "Eddie boy, can you translate?"

"Sure. Quil's asking what will happen if they try to touch someone."

Emmett got a sly look. "Oh! So, if I were to do this," Emmett patted Jacob on his shoulder, "to one of them, something would happen?"

"I would think so, Emmett."

"No."

Bella looked at Jasper. "What do you mean, no?"

"You said any _living_ creature, Bella. We're not alive."

She face palmed. "Then how are you standing up, walking around, talking, consuming matter, and generally looking alive - voodoo magic?"

He shrugged. Emmett brushed past him and walked up to the still snarling mute. He reached out, and Sam began to recoil. But Emmett was faster, and pressed his palm onto Sam's nose. Immediately, the skin began to burn, and Sam cried out in pain, rubbing his nose with his paws, scrubbing the dirt with it, and trying desperately to relieve himself of pain. The other wolves whimpered in the shared pain, some scratching their noses, others snorting. When all was said and done, Sam had a slight burn on his nose, already beginning to heal.

It was dead quiet for the longest time. Jacob shifted on his paws, nervous and unsure. Finally, Paul spoke up with the most terrified look on his face Jacob had ever seen.

"So… we can't touch anything… or anyone… including the leeches… what about our families?! They did nothing wrong!"

"Then I suggest you apologize to us all and settle your differences. That is, after all, how my edict can be broken. Other than that, everyone who you know and love back in La Push will never be able to hold you, hug you, or even so much as touch you. This is my decision."

"Bella," the one called Carlisle spoke, "you are not the one in control of the pack. That belongs to Sam."

"With him in control he would march on your front door and kill you all. I will not allow that to happen. I want them to feel _pain,_ Carlisle, the same pain I feel when I see those I care about being hurt. They will share my pain until there is no more animosity between any of us."

"But, Bella, I don't care for them, either." Jasper said. "Jacob, I understand. But the rest of them? Those mutts can go –"

He was grabbed and pinned down by the werecat, who snarled in fury. "Fine, then. I can see where this is going. _**YOU SHALL SUFFER THE SAME FATE AS SAM ULEY AND HIS PACK!**_ "

"NO!" Alice screamed, rushing to Jasper's aid once Bella let go. But it was too late. As soon as she touched her mate, he yelled out, pulling away. "Fuck you, Bella!" she spat.

Bella snarled, looking menacingly in their direction. "Those who act like children will be dealt with accordingly. I don't tolerate closed-minded people. I was raised better than that."

Charlie lowered his gun finally, and nodded. "I'm with my daughter on this. If no one can behave civil toward one another, there needs to be someone keeping you all in check. If no one can touch each other, no one will get hurt."

"But, Charlie –"

"No, Carlisle. You may have time on your side, but I bet I am older than you from when you were turned. You have taken in these children as your own, but you don't have the strength to properly punish them. And since Billy isn't doing his job properly, either, someone has to step up. I, being the only human here who wants everyone to get along, and has neutrality on my property, will help Bella enforce her rules. You all will learn to get along, to understand each other, and to behave like adults. If you belong to the supernatural, and want nothing more than to protect humans, then I would think the same goal can be achieved. Now, I can see this not going any farther, so Sam, take your pack and go home. Billy has my number if you decide to work something out." With that, Charlie calmly walked back out of the clearing, and into his home.

Everyone was dumbstruck. Jacob was even more nervous. _Um, B-Bella…?_

 _Yes, Jake?_

 _I… I don't want everyone to fight._

 _I don't either, man. But this shit's gotta stop. I didn't want to do this, but Sam seems too big for his britches. And, there's something else they won't tell you. Sam is really the Beta of the Pack. You, Jacob Black, are the direct descendent of Ephriam Black, last Alpha of the Quileute Pack. You are supposed to be the Alpha. But, that decision was taken from you. Billy was supposed to tell you once you turned, but now that this has occurred, Sam will tell Billy, and they will keep Sam as the Alpha. You would have to fight for your right to lead._

Jacob's jaw dropped for a second, before he looked down. Alpha? _Wow. And they're just gonna take that from me? I mean, I don't know if I want to lead anybody, I've been a wolf for an hour! But…_

 _I know. It's a hard decision, to lead. Look at me, I've been forced into this. But I can help you. Somehow, I've been able to control both the Cullens and Sam's pack. I think that means that Santo was right._

 _Santo?_

 _Oh, he's the other werecat I had the pleasure of running into. He said that us werecats used to have a ruling clan, but a betrayal tore us apart. We used to keep vampires and humans under control, but not anymore. Maybe it extends to other supernatural creatures, like you guys. But I would never take away your freedom, Jake. You're a good guy, and I know you'll make the better decision. You're young, but you have heart, and that seems to be missing with Sam._

Jacob nodded. _But, how did you know about the Alpha thing?_

 _I can read Sam's thoughts. He may not be able to curse us out, but he sure is being a dumbass and revealing EVERYTHING I need to know._ Bella smiled, and Jacob nodded, looking at Sam. If Jacob thought hard enough, he could actually see what Bella was talking about. But as soon as he made contact with Sam's mind, the black wolf pulled his thought away, and became silent. Still, it was enough to confirm Bella's musings. _Wow, you were right, Bella._

 _I know. But, really, Jake, you need to make a decision – stay with them, or come live with me. I can show you what it's like to live on the wild side. And I can show you that these guys are really just a bunch of softies._ She smiled a toothy smile.

Jacob nodded. If he was going anywhere, it was better with her than with Sam. At least he wouldn't have to hear the black wolf's angry, bitter thoughts. _Then I guess I'm stuck with you. I just hope they don't try anything stupid._ Jacob nodded his head to the pack, who was now looking at each other, growling and grumbling.

Bella nodded, and stood on her hind legs, shifting back into her human form. Of course, she was naked, and Jacob did the mature thing in looking away. _Sorry, Edward._

"It's ok Jake. I understand you don't look at her that way. Don't worry about it." Edward replied to him quietly, so that no one else could hear. Louder, he said, "So, Esme, will you be ok with Jacob sharing space with us?"

"Of course. We'll see if we can't-"

"Wait, Esme. I think we can handle him staying here. He can enroll in the school with us, if you could pull some strings. It makes more sense for the two creatures outside of the stupid feud to be on the neutral territory – my house."

Nodding, Esme turned to Carlisle. Rose sighed in relief, while Jasper seethed, with Alice quietly trying her best to sooth him. Emmet whooped and hugged Jacob around the neck. Bella grabbed some clothes from who knows where, and quickly dressed herself. She marched into the house, and must have quickly told Charlie that Jacob was staying with them, because she came back out with Charlie following behind. "Well, Jake, if you're gonna be staying here with me and Bella, then you can't come in the house with those muddy paws. Turn back and get yourself some clothes. I got a pair of shorts you can wear until you get your things from your place."

Jacob turned his head. _But how do I change back? I…. Bella!_

She calmly came to Jacob and started to gently pet his head, hugging him around the neck, while Emmett moved down to calmly rub his shoulders. Jacob soon relaxed (even though he felt Emmet might have been getting a little too touchy-feely for his tastes) and one minute he was a horse-sized wolf, the next, a naked copper boy who felt incredibly insecure to his peers, mythical and non. Charlie tossed him some shorts, which Jacob quickly put on, and then commented on catching the next game, walking back inside the house. The Paul wolf muttered, grumbling. Sam grumbled back, but both became silent when Bella eyed them. "Run home, Sam. Take your pack with you. Let Billy know we're on our way." Sam turned, barked to the pack, and they all took off toward La Push.

Bella turned to Jacob. "Well, then, Jake, let's go and get your stuff. Cullens, go to the border closest to Jake's place, and we'll ferry the biggest items to you guys. His smaller, more personal items will come with me. Anything else he can't live without, you guys will grab, and we'll deal with storage. If I have to make a damn log cabin for his stuff, I will."

Esme smiled. "I'd love to design something more simple, if you're serious, Bella."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Maybe, if Jake wants more room to live in. Jake?"

"Well, I dunno… I wouldn't want to be a bother, and I'm pretty sure I can crash on Bella's couch, if you and Charlie are alright with that?"

"Sure we are, but would you prefer your own place? It wouldn't be much of a bother, the girls and I could whip you up a little place all your own, if you wanted."

His own place? "That's a fine offer, but can I think about it while we get my things… wait… damn, Billy. He's not gonna be happy about this."

"Screw Billy, if he tries to stop you, I'll just push his chair over!" Bella smiled, talking in a half joking manner. Carlisle shook his head, but Bella rolled her eyes. She waved the Cullens over, and with a little encouragement, Jacob ran with them. The vampires sniffed out the border, and when they were as close as they could get, they stayed behind. Jacob then ran with Bella the rest of the way, his now abnormally strong legs carrying him alongside Bella, who, for her slightly smaller stature, was flying across the forest with relative ease.

Bella sniffed the air. "Do you smell that? The musky, wet fur?"

Jacob smelled the air, detecting the odor Bella was describing. "Yeah. Is that the pack?"

"Yep. That, and your father. Billy is NOT happy, at all. Be prepared." Bella slowed to a march, and Jacob followed, both of them emerging out of the thick foliage and onto a familiar sight: the little red cottage with the shack haphazardly attached onto it. And beside it, in the open field, stood the entire wolf pack, in human form, along with Billy, in his chair, arms crossed, looking pissed. The men behind him, all copper skinned, had expressions ranging from furious to just painfully upset.

"Jacob!" Billy yelled, "Why are you doing this? Betraying your people! Betraying me!"

"I'm not the one betraying you, or anyone! I see nothing wrong with the Cullens, they haven't killed anyone around us, and in fact Carlisle was the one to fix Paul's back!"

"After Bella broke it!" Paul roared.

"But Carlisle STILL fixed it, with help from Bella, who was only defending herself! They could have chosen to walk away, leave you paralyzed! But no, they didn't! You think that they're heartless, bloodthirsty animals! But I don't see that, and I'll prove you all wrong. So, I'm going to take my things. And if you try to stop me, I will fight you."

"Don't forget about me now," Bella adds, stepping up next to Jacob. "I'll defend him too. You take away his freedom, and I have a bone to pick with you."

Billy pursed his lips and huffed. "Bella, you have no right to interfere with the business of the Quileutes and the Cold Ones. This treaty has been alive since before you were born. You are not like us, an abomination!"

"An abomination?! And I suppose THOSE BOYS over there are normal? That transforming into a massive dog is an everyday thing? Oh, Jacob could just stroll down the street in broad daylight as a giant russet wolf, not get shot, not get captured and stuffed? Really Billy? You sound worse than a bad fanfiction antagonist!"

Billy didn't speak. Jacob, being mad, marched into the house and started to pack clothes and other important items into his various backpacks and duffel bag. The yelling match had resumed while Jacob packed up, and when he returned to Bella's side, he heard the end of what might have been a metaphorical "dick measuring contest" between Bella and the pack, specifically Paul, who was flexing his arms and chest.

"You see that, cat? Pure wolf muscle! No little pussy could have that au natural!"

Bella scoffed, pushing up what little sleeve she had, and flexed. The muscle bulged severely, rivaling Paul. "Oh yeah, pup? Then what's this?" Jacob balked – he didn't think Bella was even capable of such muscle mass, but here she was.

Paul snorted, angry. He stalked over to a nearby rock, which was as big as his head, and flung it across the small field with relative ease. He turned his head to Bella and smirked.

Still smiling, Bella casually walked over to a large dead spruce tree, still standing but with no leaves, still anchored into the ground firmly. Bella wrapped her arms around it, squatting so as to get a good angle, and heaved up. As if being plucked by a giant, the dead tree easily came up out of the ground, the roots groaning in effort as it struggled to stay in the earth. Bella huffed, and let it thud on the ground.

No one spoke. Paul, writhing in fury, crossed his arms and stood silent.

Bella nodded, brushing her hands off. "Come on, Jake, is there anything else you need? Maybe your bed, or a favorite chair?"

"Naw, Bells, I don't need any of it. Let's go."

"You leave this land, Jacob, and you'll be betraying us all!" Billy yelled, for one final attempt at getting his son back.

But Jacob wasn't swayed. He turned back, one final time, and yelled back, "No, Dad, you all have forgotten what its like to understand others! You act like everyone who is Quileute is family! You even lumped Bella and Charlie into it! But once they even so much as thought about the Cullens being friends, you turn your back on them! Why? Why is it that? Because you refuse to sit with them and listen, to look at their life and know them for who they are, not what they are. I am going to be that person, to see who the Cullens are, not for being vampires, but for being individuals. And if I'm never allowed here again, so be it!"

Jacob was now shaking violently, his bags now on the ground. Bella rubbed his shoulder to try to calm him down, but he shrugged her off. He swiftly tore off the borrowed shorts, and ran off into the forest, erupting into his wolf. He charged forward, past the Cullens, some of which called after him, and on. He stopped when the icy smell of vampire hit his nose like a brick wall. He had come upon a massive house – more like a mansion – in the middle of the green wood. This modern masterpiece, which burned of vampire smell, shocked Jacob into halting his crazed thoughts. He didn't even hear the fast falling footsteps of the Cullens and Bella, who caught up to him with all his things, including the shorts.

Bella patted Jacob's furry shoulder, and said calmly, "Welcome home, Jake."


	4. Chapter 4

Bella's POV

Jacob was astounded by the Cullen property, but not enough to calm back down from his rant towards Billy. He paced the ground just beyond the grand entrance, kicking little stones away from him. While he steamed, Rosalie and Emmett ran out to hunt, and Jasper angrily stood beside the main door, growling under his breath. Alice talked to him quietly at vampire speed, trying to assure him that all he had to do was accept Jacob as more than just a mutt. I snorted; there was more to it than that. Jasper didn't just need to accept Jacob, he needed to trust the whole pack. And that wouldn't happen, it seemed, until the pack trusted them. And me, it seemed. I guessed that now I was the enemy – at least to Sam, Paul, and Billy.

I wasn't so sure about Quil and Embry, who for all I knew were just kids trying to adjust to their new lifestyle as enormous wolves. They were now under the same blanket punishment as their bull-headed brothers, and to an extent I was sorry for it. I knew that those they loved wouldn't be able to touch them without them experiencing some nasty pain, and that also meant that those people would be hurting emotionally from the knowledge that they could never touch their loved ones without consequence. I slapped my hand on my head, groaning. I then looked up at Jasper, who of course was staring me down angrily. As soon as I did, I felt like the energy was sucked out of me. I staggered, fighting a massive wave of fatigue. Edward, who had been beside me the entire time, caught me before I collapsed.

"Jasper, stop it!" he yelled at his pseudo-brother.

"She deserves it!" The slight drawl of his Texan accent came through. "She cursed me like she cursed those damn dogs! I didn't do anything to them!"

"Yeah, sure you just judge them before knowing them! That's NOTHING!" I said sarcastically. "But you know, dickwad, I was going to ease the pain away! That's why I looked at you!"

The heavy, lethargic weight lifted, as Jasper stood there, pensive. I stood up, with Edward's help, and managed to slowly walk over to Jasper and Alice. Alice gave me a little hiss, and I quickly stared her down before taking Jasper's hands. He flinched, but then looked confused. I closed my eyes and focused on our hands, feeling the pulsing of my blood and the low hum of energy in Jasper. **"** _ **I revoke the curse I gave to Jasper Whitlock, for he will learn in time to trust the Quileute wolves, and I will see to this personally. Let him touch and be touched by those around him, without pain."**_ I let go and stepped away.

Jasper was hesitant, but went to caress Alice's face. The relief that flooded over him was instantaneous, and I was overwhelmed with lust. I grunted and shuffled my feet. Edward came to me and hugged me from behind, his arms wrapping around my waist. Carlisle and Esme ducked inside, probably taking advantage of the empty house. Jacob laid down and huffed, seeming slightly uncomfortable but otherwise calm.

"Alright, now, you guys can do the hanky-panky, I should have known the tension was too much. You aren't the only empath anymore, Jasper." I started to walk off, but someone grabbed my hand. I turned, and the Southerner kissed my hand, giving me a very empathetic look, no pun intended.

"I'm glad you removed the curse, Bella, but, only because of how we felt? Why?"

"I don't need to feel horny every time I'm around you guys. Plain and simple." I huffed. "I ain't gonna make ya'll hurt just because I feel vamps and wolves should get along. Whatever, Its not like it's gonna happen. I'm gonna go and remove it from the wolves, too." I tried to take off again, but Jasper held me. Edward had stepped aside, but placed a hand on my shoulder. Jake had gotten up and trotted over to me, his understanding showing through his lupine muzzle. Alice looked like she was gonna cry, but I didn't pry into her mind to figure out why.

"Bella, wait. Maybe you are right in wanting us to get along. I may think what you did to the pack was harsh, but maybe they will become more open to other views once they realize the consequences of their stubbornness. If you want to relieve the pain, maybe do so as they accept us. That way the majority will sway the minority. I see a bit of myself in you – the tough teaching. Speaking of which, I think it's time for some training. Whad'ya say, ma'am?"

I stood up a bit straighter – the prospect of training could really get things off my mind. "Sure! Whad'ya have in mind?"

"Seeing as how you have proven that you have some decent strength and an incredible amount of endurance, as well as very responsive reflexes, I want to test them all again against the raw power of a werewolf. Jacob," Jasper asked, turning to the curious wolf, "Would you be up to start training with Bella? I've had her practice her skills with me, since she tends to have a bit of a temper problem."

I laughed nervously and twiddled my hands. "Only a little."

Jasper shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Sure, Bella. Either way, I'd love to see what a wolf can do, since you're probably the first I've come across. And, as I'm sure you're aware of by now, your kind seem to have the same anger issues. Perhaps you can also gain more control over your ability to transform, and master your emotions."

Jacob looked down, then at the tree line, seeming to think. After a minute or two, he nodded, sending his thoughts my way. _Sounds fun. Just, don't go breaking me, ok Bella?_

I nodded. _Sure, Jake._

"Great! Let's go back to the field, we'll have more room there. Alice, you want to join us?"

Alice nodded, not too terribly excited but neither upset nor angry. She seemed lost for words. But she tagged along as we raced through the forest. Edward and Jacob ran beside me, while Jasper and his mate ran ahead. I transformed to Wild form, and coached Jacob in basic running, since he still wasn't comfortable in his wolf form. I encouraged him to follow the pattern of my footfalls, and he soon got the rhythm of it.

"My, Bella, you've become quite the teacher yourself," Jasper threw back to me casually. "Maybe you should train him today."

"But I don't wanna teach! I'm not good at it!"

"Tsk, Bella, come on! You've learned a lot from me! Could you not pass that wisdom on to Jacob?"

"No. I'm still learning. How could I teach someone what I know when I myself don't know enough?"

"You may not know enough to teach him as a master would teach a student, but you know enough to teach him as one student would help another." Jasper paused. "Well, maybe you can teach another day. Here we are!"

We burst through the tree line into the familiar field, where I had trained multiple times, and I had defeated a vampire single handedly. I could still smell the spot where my acidic saliva and the remains of the marble skinned creature had burned into the ground, singing away the grass. Even now, that spot couldn't grow anything. Jasper strode over to the center of the field, and the rest of us followed. Alice and Edward sat a ways away from our spot on the usual boulder, which they had taken time to work at until it resembled a Stone Age couch. Jacob and I stood side by side, he on all fours, I on my hind legs. Jasper faced us and started to coach Jacob in the way of controlling his emotions. I was able to help, testing him by annoying the absolute fuck out of him until he snapped. That's when things got interesting.

"Bella watch it!" Jasper yelled, launching out of the way as Jacob rounded on him, then turned to me and launched his whole body at me.

"Come on, big boy, let's see what you – GAAH!" Jacob's full weight as a wolf was quite a bit, and even though Paul wasn't a lightweight, he was still puny in comparison. Jacob managed, through the confusion, to get his teeth in my scruff. I yowled, and twisted my neck until he lost his grip. I then tried to knock him to the ground with a hard swipe of my paw, but that didn't work, as my paw glanced off his face as if I were a little rubber ball. He held his ground and jumped up at my unprotected neck. I swiped with my left paw, pushing him aside as well as pushing me away from him. He and I began to circle each other, watching for a movement that was out of place. I estimated that, if I were quick enough, I could push his legs out from under him and gain the upper hand, maybe use my bulk to keep him down. I made a decision to fake right and run pas him on the left. When he lunged right, I was able to hook my arm under his right back leg and toss it and his hind quarters up in the air. He lost his balance and fell like a fallen tree on his left side, the air whooshing out of his muzzle.

"GAIN CONTROL!" Jasper yelled, whether at me or Jake was unclear. I spread myself out and wrapped my arms around his massive chest, and began to do the same with my back legs, but he thrashed about worse than a Pokemon without moves. I had to make a decision – let go and try to run him ragged, or keep hold and squish him into submission. My decision was made when Jacob managed to get his jaw underneath one of my arms and sink his teeth deep into my forearm.

I yowled, which turned into a furious growl. I curled my back and used my back legs to batter Jake, but he just bit harder. I started to lose the feeling in my paw, and I hit him harder. Something slacked, and I was able to pull away. I staggered back, feeling a little lighter.

"BELLA, YOUR ARM!"

I looked at Edward, who was wide eyed and furious. I looked down at my arm to find a bloody stump. Jacob had the rest of it, and was collecting my blood in his muzzle and fur.

"Hey! Gimme back my arm, dog!" I swiped at him, and he growled. I hissed.

Jasper risked it, putting his hand on Jacob's shoulder and calming him down. Jacob flinched toward Jasper momentarily, but then stared, wide-eyed. He immediately dropped my arm, jumped back, and his howl sounded like a disgusted scream. He retched on the grass in front of him.

Edward was at my side immediately and held my stump in his hands. Alice had her phone out and was speaking at vampire speed with Carlisle. " _The mutt tore her arm off, Carlisle, can you get here fast enough to save it?"_

" _On my way, make sure her healing doesn't start up too fast."_ Click. Alice came over and I let her gently scrape at the open skin to keep the platelets from forming too fast.

"Jacob, this is why you need to control yourself! Your blind rage can hurt someone, even Bella!" Jasper scolded him some more, but I wasn't paying attention too much. Yeah, it hurt, having a stump, but there was something odd about this. I thought, for a second, I could still feel the other part of my arm. I looked at it, still on the ground, and thought good and hard about sticking out my middle finger. A few seconds later, I felt and saw my arm respond at the same time. The fingers closed, my middle finger stuck out, and I was shocked.

"Holy crap my arm is a goddamned zombie arm!" I pointed with my other paw, and everyone looked at it with wide eyes. That's when Carlisle and Esme showed up.

"Let me see," Carlisle grabbed my arm nonchalantly, and I had a silly idea. I concentrated again, and my hand grabbed onto his arm. He flinched a little but he didn't jump a whole lot. So I mustered the strength to tap out Morse code on his arm, _Hey, Carlisle, give me my arm back!_ He looked at it, then me. "Bella… are you… tapping Morse code on my arm?"

I smiled and nodded. Esme was by my side now, and looked up at me with astonishment and a bit of pride. Edward touched the separated arm once Carlisle brought it closer, and I could feel his touch, as well as Carlisle grasping my arm. Jasper and Jake came closer, Jake looking at me and my arm with such a sorry expression I chuckled. _I'm so sorry, Bells, I didn't realize-_

"Jake, don't worry, I think my body is more boss than we originally thought – Seems like I still have control! But how…?" I was now tapping out the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody on Edward's hand, and he smiled a little.

"I have never seen a body part respond to electrical impulses other than when attached to a battery – this is quite new to me. I wouldn't have a clue." Carlisle said, turning my arm this way and that. "But just to be safe, let's reattach the arm to you, and if you ever are separated from a body part again, because I feel that this won't be the only time you lose one, you can continue to experiment. I don't want your arm to die."

I nodded, and Carlisle proceeded to scrape the growth off of my severed arm, while Alice lightly scraped my stump, and when the both of them were primed, Carlisle touched the severed piece to the main part. I could feel my flesh begin to heal, but the bone was taking too long – the muscle might seal it up and I'd have a dead arm anyway. "Edward, can you spit on the bone? I don't think it's working properly."

"Of course, love." He bowed his head over me and pulled a large wad of venom-spit out of his glands, and spit it on his fingers, then carefully massaged the ends of the bone. When Alice and Carlisle wiggled the bone together, the marrow and outer coating quickly started to fuse, and the muscle soon followed. I could now properly move my paw and fingers without concentrating. The skin fused last, and though it was smoother than newborn skin, my fur wasn't growing in normally – it grew way past my current level, and now I had a strange patch of overly long fur.

" _Tsk,_ what the hell? Now I look like I groomed everything EXCEPT this spot. Like, really?"

"Hey, what if, when we get back, I cut it for you? Actually," Alice inspected me from head to toe quickly, and put her hand on her chin. "Could I groom your fur altogether? Don't get me wrong, the wild look is… ok, but, you could look so much better with a proper level of grooming."

"Alice, don't criticize her grooming, she's done a fine job. She doesn't need to look any better, really." Esme scolded, hugging my side.

I laughed, making a _mruck mruck mruck_ sound. "You know, Esme, I'll let her – I've never really put much thought into my grooming, and I'd rather have someone who seems to be a professional fashion EVERYTHING do my grooming for once."

Alice clapped. "Yay, thank you Bella!" She hugged me from the front. We all laughed, except for Jake, who had wandered off a little, whining. I walked over on my hind legs and squatted down to his level. The others quietly talked about what they thought I should be groomed like.

"What, you still feel bad, bud?"

 _Bella, I RIPPED YOUR ARM OFF, how the hell can you just shake it off like that?_

"I just can, Jake, it's not like you gouged my intestines out. Sure, maybe Edward was pissed, a little, but I've calmed him down a little bit since I met him – you should have seen him before, he wasn't chill AT All. And yeah, it hurt, but think of it this way – you beat me. I lost an arm fighting you, despite you having never fought before, and because I've been training with Jasper, that means that I need to figure out how a naturally skilled wolf fights, versus some dumbass that is too prideful to use strategy or technique that he more than likely learned with the pack, since hey, he has a pack. We have Jasper though, so we got that going. I might have been salty before, being beat by you, but I have to keep in mind that I don't know everything. I'll always be learning. And that goes for you too, Jake. We will learn together."

He nodded. _Thank you._

I nodded back. "Now, you're pretty messy, all that blood and dirt on you. Lemme clean that up for you." I jumped on top of him and pinned him down, grooming him with giant, swift licks. He whined in a surprised and complaining manner.

 _Hey, no, stop it, Bells, I can take a shower! Ugh, STAWP IT!_ He batted at me with his paws, and the Cullens chuckled. I let him up, and we continued to spar. I was beginning to notice more and more of his patterns, but just as I thought I had learned all I could, Jasper, with a little help from Alice, would teach him something new and he'd get the upper hand again. In time, though, as the sun set, and the full moon rose over the trees, we were evenly matched. Sweat rolled out from under our fur and made us looked like we had just come out of a steam bath.

"Alright, guys, enough for today. You to need to rest, eat, and shower." Jasper said, and we simultaneously dropped to the ground.

"The shower part ESPECIALLY!" Alice grunted playfully, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

I shook my head. "Yeah, you would say that, Miss I-hate-any-dirt-or-barely-used-clothes." I padded to her and shook myself off, sweat droplets flying out everywhere. Alice squealed so high pitched that I swear dogs in the nearest houses (a long ways off) were howling.

"Ew, gross! Stop that, this is worth more than your dad's house!"

I laughed. "Shouldn't be wearing clothes that expensive out in places like this. In fact, you just shouldn't have clothes that expensive to begin with. They might get ruined."

She flipped me off and started running back toward the house. Jasper followed her. Edward, Jacob and I followed them. We all laughed and joked around for the duration of our run, but at a certain point I saw Edward was looking at me with meaning behind his gaze.

I called out to the others, "Alice, Esme, talk with Rosalie and the boys, take Jake with you, I'm going to talk to Edward. We'll join up in a bit." I sharply turned and Edward skillfully jumped onto my back, letting me carry him a good distance before slowing down to a walk.

"So, sweetie, what is it that's bothering you?" I asked him.

"I was a bit worried, what with your arm coming off and all. Are you sure it's working properly? We set it right?"

"Yes, silly, it's working just fine. Look –" I flexed each digit and made several ASL alphabetic signs with it. " – No problem! You still worry, even after the incidents with James and my mother?"

"It's my right to worry, love. Just because you're stronger than most of us doesn't mean you can't be hurt. Jacob proved that just now." Edward ran his fingers lovingly through my mane.

I scoffed. "That pup has a lot to learn, and I was caught off guard – he got lucky."

Edward laughed. "I don't suppose Jacob or even Jasper will be giving Emmett all the details of that fight, right?"

I spun around and shot toward the big house. "No way is that mutt gonna make me look weak to that overgrown child!" Edward laughed even harder as he clung to my fur. We rocketed past the trees and I landed square in the middle of the open front yard. Sure enough, on the porch, Emmett was laughing his ass off while the girls, Jasper, Carlisle, and Jacob (in human form, wearing just his shorts) all wielded grooming supplies, smiling and chuckling along.

"Kitty Cat, you got your ass whooped by a dog?! Come on, man, I can't take you seriously now!" He laughed harder. "What, did you just sit there and hiss?!"

I growled deep in my chest, and spoke with a mad southern drawl that I could not control. "Boy, you betta stop that shit right now, or else imma have to whoop yours!" Edward pet my head, but I shook my ears in annoyance.

Emmett shook his head. "Tsk tsk tsk, Bella, you can't be real. There ain't way you can make me!" He jumped off the porch and strode over to stick his nose in my face. "What 'chu got, Kitten?"

 _Edward, go on and stand on the porch, this is gonna get ugly._

He slipped off my back and calmly walked over to stand beside Carlisle. I slowly rose up to my full height and puffed out my fur, barring my teeth and whipping my tail back and forth. Emmett shifted a little, but put on a brave face. We stared into each other's eyes for ten minutes straight before I intentionally flinched forward. Emmett stumbled back, but just as quickly stood back up, although his face was level with my chest. With lightning speed, I stepped on his chest and pressed his head into the ground. Emmett struggled but I pinned him down with both of my arms and grabbed his neck with my teeth; he stilled. I tightened my grip on his neck and picked him up into the air. He grabbed my head but otherwise didn't struggle. I jerked him around for a second, then tossed him away.

Hissing, I spat, "I am stronger! You are the inferior! Don't forget that!"

He held his hands up. "Ok, ok, Kitty Cat, you got me! Boy, you sure are scary when you wanna be."

I snorted in agreement. I stared at Jacob. "You got lucky, pup."

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I got lucky. But I'll get better. And we'll be evenly matched!"

I nodded slowly. "Sure. So, boys and girls, I see all of you are prepped and ready to groom. Alice, how do you want me?"

She jumped down off the porch and ran right up to me; the others walked at human pace up to me as she explained, "You need to stay standing straight on all fours. I discussed all the details with everyone and they know what to do. Edward, you have to disappear for a while, go hunting or something, it's a surprise."

"Alice, what – "

"No no no, you go. Shoo!"

Edward threw me a look of apology and ran north. I stood straight, and after Alice gave the signal, everyone got to work. Brushing was first, and with the vampires working at their speed, the excess fur was collected in less than 20 minutes. Jacob was assigned my face because he was slower and gentler. The pile of fluff and debris was as big as Edward's car, most of it being shed undercoat. Then, the cutting began. Snips and chunks of fur were being taken off of me, and as I quietly stood, I could feel myself becoming lighter. Alice always checked everyone's progress, and once she was satisfied, she personally worked on my "hair" piece, trimming and combing until she _hmm_ 'd with happiness. They all stepped back, and Alice sent a text message to Edward before she and Jasper dashed up into the house. Everyone else looked away from me, probably to throw Edward off. I could hear his rapid footsteps as he raced through the undergrowth, and my heart beat erratically with the anticipation and anxiousness of his thoughts on me.

Alice and Jasper brought down a big ass mirror from who knows where, and set it in front of me, facing away. I tiger-moaned in annoyance.

"Oh hush, Bella, you look fabulous. Alright Edward, come out and look!"

I heard Edward step slowly through the foliage, and his shoes tread through the soft dirt. He stopped a few feet from the mirror, and I could hear the soft _tap_ of his fingers on the glass. The pixie and the Southerner moved the huge wall out of the way, and I puffed my chest out and stood proudly. When his face was revealed, his golden eyes widened in awe. His lips parted ever so slightly, and his baby soft huff of amazement tickled my ear fur. I stepped toward him proudly but slowly, to keep my fur from getting too messy. Edward reached out his hand and met my large nose. He used both hands to gently pet and caress me, from my head to my shoulders, down every leg, and along my tail. When he came back around, he hugged my neck and didn't let go. I purred so loudly that Carlisle commented that he could feel it from where he stood.

"Alright, you two, let's reveal it to Bella now." Jasper turned the mirror around, and now I could see just how beautiful Alice and the others had made me.

My hair was swept over to my right, my hair fur running down into an impressive mane that had been combed into perfection. The fur then was cut shorter as it flowed down my back and shoulders, and the longest fur on my arms and legs were located at my elbows and ankles, with a dress of fur on every paw. My tail had been shaped so the end was super fluffy and the top was nice and sleek. I was so well put together I looked like a cross between a stripe-less tiger and a white lion. My purr rumbled through the ground, and I smiled with satisfaction.

"Alice, you did an amazing job! From now on, you are my fur stylist! As long as you stay modest, I'll be more than happy to be your model." I turned to see her jumping with glee. I pounced and grabbed her in my arms, standing to my full height and swinging her back and forth.

"Don't break my mate, Bella," Jasper warned. "You've lost an arm already, don't go losing another limb."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him. I set Alice down and turned to go shift back in the trees, but Edward rubbed my shoulder and looked at me with black, hungry eyes. I lowered my eye lids and rumbled in agreement, turning it into a growl. I let him on my back again, and together we stalked off into the trees.


	5. Chapter 5

Edward POV

She was absolutely gorgeous. Her snow white coat even glistened in the overcast, grey light of the Pacific Northwest day. I sensed a growing urge, and when Jasper looked my way, it was confirmed.

 _Edward, you might want to think about relieving that…. need. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want Emmett commenting on your…. situation._

I nodded just enough for him to see, and when I stared at Bella, she must have known. The grumble-turned-growl and the piercing look in her ocean blues let me know my desire would be satisfied. I hopped on her back and she slowly stalked into the tree line. I could still hear Esme discussing Jacob's living quarters when Bella shot off into the woods. Feeling her muscles, her fur, rolling and sliding and propelling her forward, lulled me into a comfort I hadn't felt in a long time. Where she was taking me, I didn't care. I was hungry for her, for her warmth to balance my cold, for her soft fur to counteract my marble skin. To taste her, every ounce of blood she would give me. I could feel myself getting taught and firm, and I think Bella could feel it too, for she doubled her speed and it felt like we were flying.

We came to a stop at a cave, different from the one before. This one was large and spacious, with thick branches and vines hiding the entrance. The other had been small, a tight fit, and pitch black once the entrance had been sealed. This one had a hole in the ceiling to let gentle light flood into the spacious room, and moss hung from the walls. There was even a nest of leaves and plants in a rounded corner of the room that Bella must have made herself, for I could smell lingering traces of her around the room. Bella settled on the leaves, and when I slid off of her, and landed in a decent sized pile, I felt incredibly comfortable. Not that I could really be uncomfortable, even laying on the stone floor, but this was almost like laying on Bella herself. Just… crunchier.

"Hmm, so, darlin'," Bella purred, swinging her head around to meet my eyes. "What do you feel like doin?" Her massive right paw curled around my torso and her tail brushed the top of my head.

I chuckled deeply, and held her paw in my hands. "Actually, love, I was thinking, that tonight, you could be in human form instead."

She nodded, and soon she was in my arms, bare and smooth. I unwrapped her belongings from her leg, and she slowly removed my shirt. I cradled her in my arm, and pressed her against my chest. She kissed my lips and nipped at my neck. I hummed in pleasure, and she bit down ever so slowly. Her teeth sank into my stone muscle, and I could feel the intoxication of her saliva as it coursed through me. I inhaled sharply at the sudden high, and my mouth began to fill with venom. She bit down harder, and more of the addicting drug pulsed through me, as if my long dead heart was beating once more. I couldn't stop myself, I grabbed her arm and bit her wrist. She moaned through my neck, and I bit harder. We exchanged blood and venom in a ceremony that might have spanned ages, and I reveled in the chance to become even closer to my mate. Sure, vampires could share venom through their mate, but never had it been so intimate, or so rewarding.

I could feel the strength, the raw, ancient power, running through my venom-filled veins. At that moment, I could open my mind even farther, and for the briefest of eternities, my mind and Bella's became one. With her growing ability to hear thoughts, from ingesting my venom, she could further see into people's minds, and even though her mind stayed closed to me, in these moments, I could clearly see her every thought and emotion at an instant. She was aroused into near ecstasy, and when I wrapped my arms tight around her, her mind exploded with sensation.

Without disengaging my mouth from her arm, I took my pants off swiftly and threw them with my shirt upon the floor. She took her free hand and began to stroke me through the fabric of my undergarments, and I moaned in pleasure. She quickened her pace, and in a frenzy I lost control, greedily sucking more blood from her. The beast within me chanted in my head, _More! More! MORE!_ And I eagerly complied. Her pace slowed, and she peeled me away from her arm. With blood smeared on my mouth, my eyes wide in crazed fury, I growled, wanting more. She pushed me down, never letting go of my neck, and kept taking more venom. My breathing quickened, I was riding a high of werecat blood that no human could ever induce, even in the youngest of newborns. My senses spread to the far corners of the cave, reached beyond it, and out into the world. I could hear, smell, feel, taste, EVERYTHING. My view of Bella's body was so great that I could pick out individual cells and see the workings of it in real time, even in the dimmer light.

But as Bella kept draining me of venom, my senses dulled, and I had to gently take her off of me. We stared at each other as we breathed heavily. "I think, love," I said, "we should ease off of the feeding."

She giggled. "You sure did look like you had it under control."

"I desire you in ways you have never been desired before, and ever will be from any being. It's not my fault you are so intoxicating."

"Mmmm…" She lowered her head down to my now throbbing member. "I think you should hush now, and let Bella work some magic."

I laid back in the leafy pile and closed my eyes, letting my skin become alive with feeling. Bella's hot breath smoldered me and made me burn. Her fingers, curling around the waistband and pulling my undergarments away, were feathers of sensation. And when she started to lick, her long feline tongue wrapping around my head, her saliva made my skin sizzle. My back arched as she continued to work my head, licking and occasionally sucking. I was on the brink when she took me all in, and I kept myself in control as she tried her best to make me lose myself.

No, I was determined to pleasure her first. I gently grasped her chin, and lifted her to meet my gaze. I kissed her, tasting her warm lips as well as a bit of myself. I ran my hands up and down her back, using the tips of my nails to gently scratch at her. She moaned in response, and could barely keep kissing me. I then reached one hand around to her stomach, tracing circles, before moving my way down to her pearl. Once there, she halted, and when I wouldn't continue, she whimpered, begging. I smiled, and granted her wish. With two fingers I lightly massaged her pearl, and her moans became high pitched. Then, using my other hand, I laid her down, hovered above her, and inserted a finger into her. She gasped, grabbing my shoulders. Her claws began to dig into me, but I kept going.

"Bella, sweetheart, resist the urge to change."

"I… I-I'm… t-t-trying…. Uuhhh…. Baby…. Oh, Edward-"

My fingers went faster. Her words turned to unintelligible moans and whimpers, and her claws dug even deeper. But I didn't care about the pain – my high was not letting me feel much of it. When she was about ready to burst, I stopped, and she opened her eyes, stared me down, and growled. I shifted myself, bracing within the leaf pile. With my member positioned, I cradled her head in one hand, and slowly pushed my way inside her. She moaned loudly, her voice slipping in between human and werecat. I pumped into her at a regular pace, and sped up when her claws raked down my back. I thrusted into her faster, going at vampiric speed, until we both climaxed, and I pumped hard into her, lingering sometimes as I emptied.

We relaxed and hugged close for a while, Bella falling asleep as I brushed through her hair and massaged her body. My skin healed during that time, and I was good as new. When the sun set, and the moon rose up over the horizon, bathing our world in blues and silvers, I woke her and we set back off toward the big house. We strolled, her in human form, at a leisurely pace, and for a while it was quiet. But I could sense something was amiss, as Bella kept staring off, a worried expression on her face; her eyebrows ever so slightly down, her eyes a little squinched, and her mouth pursed.

"What's wrong, love? Did I not perform well?"

She stared, wide eyed, with a twinkle of amusement. "No! Oh, darling, you were amazing. Naw, I was thinking about Jake. Poor thing, not having a pack, the Quileutes all hate us, and he has to smell vampire all the time. Rose probably won't like him being there all the time, what with the stink, and Esme might burn down the house with all that cooking." She and I laughed at that. "But all in all, Jake is gonna have to adjust in a lot of ways. Now that he can't be on the rez, he needs to support himself."

"But we would-"

"No, Edward. A boy like him needs to be able to prove he is making a difference if he's living there. He grew up poor, and he's more charitable and humble than you realize. Once we get his temper under control, he should find a job in town. Maybe Charlie can get him one at the station, or he could work at the diner. Hell, for all I know he could help the Newtons at their hunting store. But he needs to do something other than sit around the house or wolf around."

I nodded. "Well, I can ask Carlisle if there's any work at the hospital. Perhaps he could help with the overwhelming stack of patient paperwork."

Bella laughed. "Oh, god, that would drive him nuts. Beasts like us can't sit still for too long, we get agitated. He needs to be physically busy… hmm…. what is Jake's hobby?"

"I wouldn't know, love. He never thought about that while I was around him."

"Then we should ask him." We came up on the house, and I could hear the divided activities. Carlisle was in his study, researching lupine anatomy and biology, wanting to make sure he was ready for another possible wolf injury. Esme and Alice were discussing how to go about building and designing Jacob's cottage home in the living room. Emmett was quietly trying to convince Rosalie to go along with Jacob, while Rose played gently with Mocha and Fabrette in her bedroom. And Jacob and Jasper were lightly sparring, going over technique out back. Bella perked her head, and strutted toward Jasper and Jacob. I followed, and we could see Jasper teaching Jacob how to turn quickly on his hind legs. Jacob tried again, but when he turned, his paw caught in the dirt, and he stumbled instead of really turning.

"Oi, StumbleButt!" Bella yelled out. Jacob turned his massive rusty head toward her, ears back in annoyance.

 _What, Sparkle Fur?_

"What do you like to do outside of being a smelly mutt?"

He rolled his head. _I like to work with my hands. Mechanical. I had a Volkswagen Rabbit I was rebuilding, but that's back at the rez._

"We should probably look into getting that car here. So, if you like mechanical work, maybe you should find a job around here working as a mechanic. I figure, you don't wanna be Wolfenstine all the time, and you can't go back to school on the rez, you should find something to do, yeah?"

Jacob looked down at the dirt, pondering. _I guess I could. But I still need to finish school._

"I could help you," I offered. "We can get you on a home schooled program that could finish your high school level faster. I can tutor you when you struggle, and we can make it much easier to finish your GED."

He looked up at me with gratitude. _Thanks, Edward! That sounds like a great idea! Then I can train with Jasper and Bella on my time off!_

"Sounds like a plan!" Bella patted Jacob's head, and Jacob smiled, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Jasper, standing back a ways, raised an eyebrow. _Private tutor, huh? Professor Cullen, that has a nice ring to it._

I rolled my eyes and ignored my brother. "Great. I can research the classes you need, and we can get started whenever you feel ready. We can secure your records from your old school, but that's the hardest part. Do all Quileutes dislike our family?"

 _No, I bet the principal won't be too stubborn. Problem is Billy. He might not release my records._

"How old are you Jake?"

 _17\. I turn 18 in January._

"No problem. We can get you legally emancipated from Billy if you wish. He is not capable of caring for you, and you are. It will be easy."

Jacob nodded. _Great! Thanks, I really appreciate this._

I nodded. "Any time, Jake."

A week had passed since then, and we had successfully transferred Jacob from public school to under Carlisle's, Esme's, Jaspers', and my private teachings. Jasper continued to help Jacob with his sparring, but also was a great teacher of politics and history.

Carlisle took up aspects of health and biology, while Esme taught him home skills such as cooking and caring for the house. (Bella was a bit miffed that life skills had been left to Esme, furthering the house wife stereotype, but Esme laughed it off and showed her that her teachings were also house repair and mechanics, and electronic upkeep)

I taught him mathematics, language and literature, and even dabbled a bit in music, much to his amusement. But when it came to car mechanics, Jacob's favorite pastime, the experts, Rosalie and Emmett, were unlikely to teach. Emmett wanted nothing more than to spar with Bella or Jacob, much to Jacob's annoyance, and Rosalie was more stubborn, choosing to play with the kittens or even work on her car and Emmett's while locked in the garage. Emmett would try to persuade Rosalie, but "try" was loosely used. Carlisle and Esme tried, heck we all tried, but Rosalie was too stubborn. Jacob would ask, again and again, but Rosalie was reluctant to respond.

On Sunday, as Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Emmett were out hunting, Jasper, Jacob, Bella and I were out on the large back yard, Jasper teaching Jacob quiet hunting techniques while Bella and I discussed music tastes on the back porch. We heard the roar of Rosalie's BMW roll up the long drive, and when she pulled into the garage, Jacob bounded up to her in full wolf and whined, baring her from entering the house through the back door. _Please, Rose!_

Even though Rosalie couldn't hear his thoughts, she'd responded enough times to know what he was asking. "No, Jacob, I don't want to. Please, let me by." Rosalie was stiff and blunt with her request.

Bella got up from leaning on the railing and strutted over to them, with her blue jean shorts and grey tank top, barefooted. "Come on, Rose, you and Emmett are the best mechanics, Jake could learn so much from you."

Rosalie sneered at Bella – a first since they had made up. "Look, Bella, as much as I understand you wanting us to get along with the dogs, but I don't see any real reason. We've always been enemies, it's not gonna chance."

Bella's nose curled, and as she spoke her fangs grew out. "Rosalie, everyone else is getting along with Jake just fine. You're being stubborn!"

"So what if I am, I'm not about to just start letting the garage smell like wet dog!"

Jacob growled, but Bella growled louder. "Rose, the whole house and the yards are beginning to blend with Jake's scent, the garage will be no different! Get a goddamned grip, you pretentious, high-headed princess! This isn't the 1930's anymore!"

Rosalie snarled, crouching a little. "I would like to keep the garage, my only sanctuary left, MUTT FREE!"

Bella gripped Rosalie by the shoulders, yanked her up in the air, and pushed her against the back wall of the house, fully growling, teeth bared. Rosalie was hissing and snarling back, and Bella was fading towards her Rage form. Before more happened, however, the air was split with an ear-shattering howl. We all turned our heads toward the sound, and Bella dropped Rosalie. Her ears and Jacob's turned toward the howl, and they looked at each other.

 _Jake, you don't think –_

 _I have no clue who it might be, but it's one of the pack members._

 _It sounded like they were in pain, I hope –_

Another howl, more a cry than anything, pierced the sky. The same wolf, more than likely. Then more howls rang out, but these weren't cries of pain – they were howls of anger.

 _Holy shit, what is going on over there?!_ Jacob whined, worried.

 _Jake, I wanna go over there and see what's up. You game?_

 _Yeah, as much as I know Sam won't be happy, I can't sit by and listen to one of my friends get torn up!_

"Wait, Bella, I don't think that's a good idea!" I said, walking up to her and Jacob.

"What isn't a good idea?" Jasper asked. Rosalie looked at Bella angrily, but quizzically.

"She and Jacob want to go and help, they think one of the pack members is in trouble."

"Are you nuts, Bella, that's suicide! They already hate you for your curse!" Rosalie spoke up, worry seeping through her anger.

Bella turned to her, annoyed. "Well if Jacob gets hurt, you can celebrate. Come on, Jake, let's go." Bella and Jake took off, Bella swiftly tearing her clothes off to keep them from being damaged as she transformed. My frozen heart jumped – I couldn't let them go alone, they'd get torn to shreds!

"Jasper, Rosalie, come on, we have to follow them!"

"Edward, we can't cross the treaty line, the wolves will use that as an excuse – "

"God dammit, we can't just let Bella and Jake go without help, the pack will kill them!"

"Shut up and let's go, the wolves won't care, we've got Bella." Rosalie flashed by, and Jasper and I followed. We rocketed through the forest, and I quickly pulled ahead. I could "hear" Bella and Jake's minds as they confronted the horrible sight. The three of us had to stop just a mile from the group, just as we came across the treaty line, and we crawled into the trees.

Bella focused first on the atrocity – there was a light brown wolf, young, who was cowering on the ground, covered in blood, chunks of fur missing. In front of him stood a darker sliver wolf, young like he was, bravely standing against the black furred Sam, the grey and tan furred Paul, and dark brown furred Jared. Paul was the closest, snarling at the standing wolf.

 _Quil! Embry! You too?! Shit! Why is Embry hurt, what the fuck happened?_ Jacob walked forward, his fur rising.

 _Trator! What are you doing here?!_ Paul growled, snapping his teeth inches from Jacob's nose. Bella swiped a paw and made Paul back up. _Ain't nobody want the two of you around!_

 _What have you done? Why is a pack member covered in blood?_ Bella inquired angrily, licking her teeth.

 _This little fuckhead thought he could do what he wanted! He's wrong!_ Paul turned to the standing wolf, his teeth chomping together.

 _Are you saying you beat him up because he wouldn't follow orders? What were the orders?_ Bella closed her mind for a second to speak directly to me. _If this fucker hurt the pup because of me, imma kick his ass!_

"It looks like the pack has two new members – Quil Atera V, and Embry Call. They're young. One of them has gone against orders, and it looks like Paul may have hurt him badly." I relayed to the others. Jasper breathed heavily in disgust, while Rosalie quietly hissed. I spoke directly to Bella. _Love, don't. If they have done it for the wrong reasons, then convince the young ones to come with us. Maybe they could stay with us, or even in Jacob's new place. Esme and Alice did a fantastic job so far, they can add more to the building to accommodate._

 _Not a bad idea, but I have to get those three idiots to calm down._ She opened her mind back up to the pack to hear Paul's response.

 _Doesn't matter what they did, because you aren't a part of the pack, you abomination!_

Bella turned to the pups. _Quil, Embry, who is who, and what was the order?_

 _I'm Embry, Quil was the one attacked! Paul ordered us to stay away from you and from the Cullens, but when I found out about the curse, I was going to go find you and make you take it off! As soon as I touched my mom, I felt like I was burning! I got so mad I stomped out into the forest and turned! Then Quil turned too, because he saw me. Bella, take this curse away! I can't go running around not touching people!_

 _I know, I will remove it, but only if you can come with me and –_

 _Don't listen to that monster! She'll kill you first chance she'll get!_ Paul roared. _She fucking broke my back!_

 _ **Paul shut the FUCK UP!**_ Bella stood on her hind legs and used her Alpha Voice. Paul snarled at her, unable to think towards anyone.

 _Wait… what the hell? How did Bella…?_ Embry stood there, confused.

Bella turned back to Embry, settling back down, her tail swishing back and forth. _Before I rudely interrupted, I was going to say that the stipulation for removing the curse is to come with me and Jacob and meet the Cullens – they are not nearly as horrible as your pack mates claim them to be._

 _But they're vampires, right? They eat humans._

 _No, they don't. They're what they like to refer as "vegetarian" vampires. They drink blood, but only animal blood. Like deer, elk, grizzly bears, that sort of thing. They would never hurt a human._

Embry looked back and forth between mute Paul and Bella. In his mind, he was more convinced by Bella's kindness and truthful words. _So we meet them, and the curse is lifted?_

 _Kind of. You have to see the Cullens for who they are, not WHAT they are. It's my theory that the two species can get along – Jacob and the rest of us get along just fine. Only person is Rosalie, and she's a bit… stubborn. But not evil. She wouldn't attack Jacob, she'd protect him. Just like the rest of us would. Jasper and I have taken turns training him, allowing him to grow and develop his skills as a wolf. Embry… If Sam and the others are hurting you, then allow me to extend my paws to you. We can provide shelter, food, comfort, training, and anything you could need as supernatural beings. You may come and go as you please between the territories to see your families and to be a part of the extraordinary family we have made. You and Quil._

 _You will not take our people from us, Bella!_ Sam now intervened. _They belong with their own kind, not Cold Ones and you!_

Bella swerved to be nose to nose with Sam. _And I suppose you've given them a reason to stay?! Look at Quil, the state of him! Carlisle and I will be able to fix anything that might be permanently damaged if he heals too quickly, but in your incapable hands what will he do? Suffer because he couldn't make his own choice!_

Sam backed down, the mental message as shocking as if Bella had shouted them. Jared looked to Sam with desperation, but to no avail.

 _Let me help you with Quil, I can carry him back, we'll fix him. Walk with Jake, he'll lead you back to the border._ Bella gingerly picked up the smaller, quivering wolf, who had started to heal the skin and grow fur back, but who's limbs were now seen to obviously be broken or dislocated. Embry nodded, but before they could walk off, Sam made one more attempt.

 _EMBRY CALL, QUIL ATERA V, YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THE LA PUSH TERRITORY!_

The force of Sam's Alpha Voice brought Embry to his belly, while Quil squirmed in agony. Bella turned around, beginning to edict her own Alpha Voice, but then turned to Jacob. _Jake, you're the true Alpha. Make Sam stop._

 _But Bella, I –_

 _Yes you can, Jake. Feel the connection. Feel Sam's weakness – he's just bluffing._

Jacob extended his reach to Sam, who pulled away, but couldn't escape Jacob's newfound strength. Jacob felt the power, and embraced it fully. _**Sam Uley, you will cease your orders on Embry and Quil. They follow me!**_

 _I follow Jacob Black, the True Alpha!_ Embry called out.

 _I follow Jacob Black!_ Quil managed to respond mentally.

Something snapped. It was as if a rubber band had been stretched too far, and broke in the middle. Sam, Paul, and Jared reeled back, feeling the snapback mentally as a slap to the face. Embry and Quil's minds settled in a pattern with Jacob, and his mind was the strongest bit of pack mentality, with a faded connection to Sam.

 _Then it's settled._ Bella huffed, looking straight at Sam. _I expect you will tell their families where they are. And if they have a problem with that, then you can go and talk to the only sheriff around here, Charlie, whom I'm sure would love to hear that you deliberately almost murdered one of your own._ Bella stalked off, with Jacob and Embry right on her heels.

I pulled back, and told Jasper and Rosalie they were coming. Jasper didn't even have to pull out his cell phone before it began to ring. He answered, and it was Alice on the other line.

" _What's going on? You all disappeared!"_

"It's alright, darlin, we are bringing two more Quileutes back with us, they defected from the La Push pack."

" _Oh, well, that's going to go over well with Rosalie. Anything we can do to help?"_

"Young Quil Attera has been gravely injured, bones broken, gashed and fur missing. We'll probably need Carlisle to re-break bones that are healing too quickly."

" _Got it, we're on our way."_ Alice hung up, and by then the four shape shifters bounded into our view. The three of us dropped from the trees in front of them, and poor Embry jumped back, his nose wrinkling in disgust at our scent.

 _Oh god, what the hell?! My nose is burning, but it's so cold! How does that even work?!_

"It's our scent, Embry, we smell like that to your kind. It's not something we can help. However, we can help your friend if we can get back to the house fast enough. Bella, can you keep up with him in your arms?

"Sure can, love! We ready?"

Jacob and Embry nodded, and Jasper and Rosalie simultaneously said "Yes." We took off toward the house, Bella cradling Quil in her massive arms without jostling him around. When we arrived, Carlisle, Alice, and Esme were waiting at the back door, while Emmett jumped down from the roof and embraced Rosalie.

"Is that Quil?" Carlisle inquired, looking at Bella.

"Yeah, poor boy can't hardly think straight, the bones are all healing cockeyed and shit – we're gonna have to work together to set them right."

Carlisle nodded, and they set off into the house, Esme holding the door open for Bella as she hefted Quil inside and up into Carlisle's study. Alice hugged Jasper and kissed him quickly, then turned to Embry, who was growling softly and puffed up twice his size.

"Hey, Embry, right? I'm Alice. It would be nice to meet you if I could hear you speak. Could you change back?

 _No, I can't, I wanna rip your head off and I have no idea why!_

"He says he can't, and he's struggling with his anger." I translated.

Alice nodded, then sat cross-legged in front of Embry. "Alright, well, I guess we can try it this way. I know this must be difficult for you, so I wanna understand as much as I can. How old are you?"

 _I'm 16._

I forwarded the message.

"Wow, that is quite young to undergo such a change. Was it painful to change?"

 _Everything felt so hot and wrong, and I was in pain even before the change, especially when I tried to touch my mom. I ran out into the woods to calm down, but by then it was too late. One second I was upright, in my clothes, all normal, then the next I was a giant shaggy dog thing. I heard Sam and Jared and Paul in my head, but then I saw Quil, and he was just staring at me, then he was shaking, and in pain, and I tried to ask what was wrong, but Sam stopped me from doing anything, and Quil changed too._

"Oh my goodness, that sounds terrible! Is that when they hurt Quil?"

 _No. They made us run deeper into the forest, where they explained what was going on. That was yesterday, and they managed to help us change back, but today Quil and I were talking, and we decided we were going to make Bella take her curse off. But when we were walking to Forks, the guys stopped us, said we weren't allowed to cross the border. Quil asked why, and Paul said it was none of his business, that we were to do as Sam told us. Quil got mad and turned, and so did I. Sam pushed us into the woods, but before much else happened Jared called us out for being babies, whining to Bella about taking the curse off. Quil said "I'm not going around avoiding touching people! Get out of my way!" and then Paul got in his face, and they started fighting. I was going to help Quil, but Sam pinned me down, and only let me up after Paul was finished tearing him up. I went to defend him, and that's when Bella and Jacob showed up._

Alice snarled. "Those idiot boys don't know what the point is to all of this! Well, trust that Carlisle and Bella are taking good care of –"

The air was torn apart by the primal cry of Quil as Carlisle and Bella began to re break bones to set them straight. Embry growled louder and took a step towards Alice threateningly. Jasper and I came to her side, and Jasper did his best to calm Embry down.

"It's alright, they're fixing his bones, Embry. It's going to be painful, but he'll be much better afterwards, I promise." I reassured him.

 _Why haven't they given him something for the pain, then? Morphine, or some shit!_

"Your kind's biology is much different than that of a human's, Embry. I don't think it would help, since you have accelerated healing. Carlisle would have done as much as possible to ease the pain, and I know Bella would never let him be in more pain than he had to."

He sat in thought for a minute, flinching when Quil cried out again. _Well, I wanna see him, and I want to see that he'll be ok._

"Of course, Embry, you will be allowed to see him, however we don't have room for a giant wolf in the house. You need to focus on returning to human form." I told him calmly. "Jasper can help you, but you need to let him."

Jasper nodded to Embry. Embry nodded back. Jasper sent Embry a soothing wave of calming sensations, and before long, Embry was back to normal, albeit naked. Esme came out of the house with a change of clothes, which Embry gladly took and changed into. Embry was young, and his longer brown hair was so dark the shine was the only way someone could normally tell it was brown. His physique was very much built like an athlete, even though his age was betrayed by his still soft cheeks and out of place arms and legs. Embry sighed and shook out his body, trying his best to relax even when the icy scent of my family assaulted his nose.

"Oh, boy, that was the strangest feeling ever. Thanks for the clothes… um… ma'am," he thanked Esme.

She smiled warmly and nodded. "Of course, sweetie. And my name is Esme." She turned and sat on the steps to the porch.

Embry looked around the place, taking everything in. "This place is pretty amazing. Um, sorry if I smell… or if I get offended by your smell. And my eating habits… I'm hungry a lot now."

Esme chuckled. "It's ok, sweetie, because of Bella's enormous appetite, I've been practicing my cooking skills, and I won't mind cooking for you at all."

"Thank you, Esme. Can I see Quil now?" He looked past us and up into the second floor, where the screaming had stopped.

"Give me a moment, Embry." I tuned everyone out and searched for Bella. Her mind felt my familiar touch and opened up. She was extremely tired and there was a sour taste in her mouth. _Darling, is Quil stable?_

 _Yes, Edward. He's stable enough for Embry to see, but I have to stay by him for the next hour or so. I'm feeding my healing saliva to him via IV so it works faster. I'm also keeping him from being in pain, so hopefully the spit does its job. I warn you, I don't look so hot._

 _Alright love, rest now._ I opened my eyes and looked at the young Quileute. He had turned to see Jacob walking out of the woods in his shorts, and smiled. Good friends. "Quil is now stable, you two can see him. Come on, I'll show you to the study." I waved them up, and they eagerly followed. When we rounded the hallway towards the study, the smell of blood, Quileute, Werecat and Vampire mingled strongly and struck me and the two behind me in the face. They coughed harshly, trying not to become ill. I walked in, being used to the smells by now, and saw Bella, in human form, slouched on Quil's stomach while still sitting in the stool beside the hospital bed. Carlisle was at his desk, analyzing vials of blood and venom, both vampiric and werecat alike. One of the vials of blood was Quil's, and I was thankful the wolves did not smell appealing to me – I needed to hunt.

Bella looked up and smiled, her eyes drooping in exhaustion. "Hey, babe. I helped Carlisle heal Quil. See?" She pointed at the pup, and he smiled weakly, waving an arm. His arms were wrapped tightly but not cast, and Carlisle relayed to me that due to Bella's help, the bones would heal in a timely manner, as Bella had said. I smiled and walked over to her, rubbing her shoulders and getting a resounding purr from her.

"Quil?" Embry poked his head forward, slowly entering the study. "Hey, are you ok?"

"Y… yeah… never better!" he laughed softly. "Thanks to Bells here, I'm gonna be good as new in a couple hours. I feel so much better. She's even made the pain go away."

Embry smiled widely, coming over to his spirit brother's side and mussing his shorter hair. Jacob laughed and patted Bella on the back. "Good job, Kitty Cat."

She hummed. "Imma good kitty…"

"Yes you are, darling, yes you are." I hugged her tightly, and she ran her fingers through my hair.


End file.
